I Will Raise This Family to Greatness - Chapter 77

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 77
– Hyung! Hyung! It’s Min-guk. Min-guk wants to go to America too!
The one who shattered my composure was, as always, my eternal thorn in the side—Jeon Min-guk.
– Hyung, Disneyland. Disneyland.
“Okay. Got it.”
Because of Jeon Min-guk, my emotional phone call ended with a promise of Disneyland.
Grace gazed at me with an elegant smile.
“Sung-guk always seemed so mature for his age that I wondered if he didn’t miss his parents, but I was wrong. Sung-guk, if you miss your parents, tell me comfortably that you want to see them. During breaks, you should always see your parents at ease.”
“Yes. I will.”
[I never knew I could cry hearing Mother and Father’s voices.]
I walked toward my room.
Soon I would be enrolling at Phillips Academy, the school I’d always dreamed of.
[Hmm… Maybe I should show off a little when Mother and Father arrive.]
Though Hyojin Group had provided support, I wanted to use the money I’d earned to truly show my parents America and New York.
First, the Samjeon stock I’d bought when the KOSPI was at its lowest had surged from 40,000 won to over 200,000 won. Exactly a five-fold increase.
Since this trend would continue for some time, I decided to bite the bullet and sell some of my stock. Besides, there were other stocks I wanted to buy.
[Since Mother and Father are visiting New York for the first time, I should show them the Statue of Liberty first, then Central Park… and we should eat steak. Since Father runs a restaurant business, I should find some good restaurants. Disneyland is too far though…]
Knock. Knock.
I heard a knock on the door.
The door opened and Koo Ye-jung walked in.
“Sung-guk, let’s go out for dinner to celebrate your acceptance today.”
“Yes.”
“But what’s all this?”
“I’m planning places I want to go with Father and Mother when they arrive.”
Koo Ye-jung pointed at the screen displaying stock prices.
“That’s not what I mean—isn’t that the stock market?”
“Yes. I want to show Father and Mother around properly, so I’m planning to sell some stocks.”
“Sung-guk, the Junho Foundation will provide everything. So don’t worry too much.”
“Min-guk said he wants to go to Disneyland too. I want to cover things like that with my own money. The Junho Foundation has already helped us so much.”
That was true.
The apartment in New York, private tutoring, and even Grace Choi, the finest educational consultant.
[I have some conscience left to ask them to cover Disneyland expenses too.]
Koo Ye-jung pondered for a moment, then quickly patted my head.
“Let’s think about this after dinner tonight. Sung-guk, get ready quickly.”
“Yes.”
* * *
Naturally, Koo Ye-jung took me to a high-end restaurant that had received a Michelin star.
Koo Ye-jung and Koo Ye-ri shed their usual casual attire and dressed up in rather elegant outfits.
“Thanks to you young ladies, I get to visit many wonderful places.”
Grace was also present at the table.
“You’ve been through so much because of us, and Sung-guk worked incredibly hard for his entrance exams this time. We should enjoy delicious food together.”
The Koo sisters were indeed kind.
A staff member naturally guided us to our reserved table.
Elegant interior design and atmosphere.
[I used to come here often too… Ah.]
I desperately wanted a glass of wine, but I was only ten years old now.
“Sister, let’s have a glass of wine. We should make a toast. What will you have, Sung-guk?”
“Apple juice, please.”
It was the only juice I could order.
“Sung-guk, when you grow up, let’s drink wine together.”
“Ye-ri, I told you—when Sung-guk grows up, he won’t hang out with us.”
“Sister, that’s too much. Sung-guk, you’ll still play with us when you grow up, right?”
“Of course.”
Empty words.
Just then, Koo Ye-jung tapped Koo Ye-ri on the shoulder and pointed at someone with her finger.
“Oh my, isn’t that Beom-seon from Just?”
[Beom-seon?]
I turned my head sharply.
It really was Beom-seon.
“Oh my, sister! You’re such a huge Beom-seon fan.”
[I know, I know. I listen to Just’s music every night since they disbanded.]
“Sung-guk, you know Beom-seon, right?”
Koo Ye-ri’s eyes sparkled like stars as she looked at me.
[Is this the moment I need to step in? Am I indispensable?]
Instead of answering, I decided to show her through action.
I pulled back my chair and walked toward Beom-seon.
Since we had done a program together right before coming to the United States, Beom-seon would naturally remember me.
Beom-seon was waiting for a table with several other people.
As I walked over, Beom-seon’s eyes widened and he looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
[That’s right, I’m Jeon Sung-guk.]
“Sung-guk? Is that really you?”
“Yes! How have you been?”
“Ah, that’s right. You said you were going to study abroad in the United States. Did you come here with your family?”
[Our family can’t afford to come to a place like this.]
I shook my head.
“I came with people from the Hyojin Group who sponsor me.”
At that moment, Koo Ye-jung quickly approached.
“Hello. I’m Koo Ye-jung.”
“Ah, yes. Hello.”
Beom-seon greeted her awkwardly.
Whether then or now, Beom-seon had always been somewhat reserved with strangers.
“Are you waiting for a table right now?”
“Oh, yes. I made a reservation, but it seems something went wrong.”
“How many people are in your party?”
“Three of us, including me.”
“Let me speak to the manager for you.”
Koo Ye-jung approached the manager and explained Beom-seon’s situation, then returned with a smile.
“They said they can seat you at the table next to ours. It looks like your reservation didn’t go through.”
“Thank you so much.”
Beom-seon bowed politely.
[Wait, this isn’t right. The Beom-seon and Ye-ri pairing I remember from the past should be different….]
“Thanks to Sung-guk, we actually get to eat. I was starving anyway.”
Soon the manager guided Beom-seon’s party to the table right next to ours.
In the meantime, Ye-ri had touched up her makeup, and her face looked noticeably brighter.
“Unnie, Beom-seon is really handsome.”
“You took a photo with him at the Just concert before.”
“He looks even more handsome than back then. Sung-guk, it’s all thanks to you.”
[Of course. But I hope the sisters don’t end up fighting over Beom-seon.]
I felt a bit worried.
Ye-ri, who had just turned twenty, had an image of being carefree and inexperienced, whereas Ye-jung seemed relatively mature and stable.
Beom-seon quickly came over to our table and greeted us.
“Thank you so much. If you don’t mind, would I be able to join you for a second round since we haven’t seen each other in so long?”
[Of course!]
“Sung-guk and I will head home first. You ladies go ahead and enjoy yourselves.”
[What are you saying? I want to go to the second round too! New York nights are so vibrant and beautiful.]
As I grumbled, Beom-seon leaned over toward me.
“Sung-guk, it’s really great to see you.”
[If you’re glad to see me, then second round!]
“Sung-guk, want to grab lunch together tomorrow?”
[So the second round is off the table then….]
I reluctantly nodded my head.
“Oppa, who did you come with?”
“This is Bang Mu-hyuk, a composer I’ve worked with since the Just days.”
[Bang Mu-hyuk?]
I quickly made out the solid silhouette in the dim interior.
It was definitely Bang Mu-hyuk.
“And next to him is my manager, who I’ve worked with for a long time.”
[I absolutely have to make that lunch tomorrow no matter what.]
* * *
“Sung-guk, they say this is the best hamburger restaurant in New York. It’s already been two years since we went to Michael’s burger place in Itaewon.”
Beom-seon was truly a man of his word.
He could have easily canceled a promise made to a young me when tired, but he never did.
I quickly sat down at the table and accepted the hamburger.
Today there was no manager, but Bang Mu-hyuk was with us.
“Hyung, didn’t I tell you? He’s a genius.”
“The world seems so unfair. He’s a genius, and he’s incredibly handsome too. Sung-guk, I’m sorry for saying this in front of you.”
“It’s fine.”
I ate my hamburger with a composed expression.
“Hyung, our title track ‘It’s a Lie’—Sung-guk chose that one for us. Sung-guk, this is the person who created that song.”
“Wow!”
I reacted with as much childlike wonder as I could muster.
[I already know all of this. I know a bit about Bang Mu-hyuk’s future, but I won’t say anything unnecessary. I’ll just mention that the day will come when Korean K-POP conquers the world. That’s why I’m planning to get very close to Bang Mu-hyuk right now.]
Bang Mu-hyuk kept eating his hamburger while looking at me.
“Sung-guk, you really don’t want to go into this field?”
“Hyung, are you trying to cast Sung-guk?”
“I can’t just compose forever, right? Once I make more money, I want to try producing an idol group. If I had a kid like Sung-guk, he’d be perfect as the center. Sung-guk, are you really not interested?”
“I’m more interested in the entertainment business than being an idol.”
“What?”
Bang Mu-hyuk looked quite surprised.
In contrast, Beom-seon remained calm.
“Hyung, I told you Sung-guk isn’t an ordinary kid.”
“When you said that, I just thought, ‘Oh, I see.’ But the entertainment business—which field interests you most?”
“I want to try my hand at film and idol group production.”
I spoke honestly.
This was also a kind of test.
If Bang Mu-hyuk dismissed the words of a young child like me, he was someone I didn’t need to associate with further.
“That’s similar to me. Sung-guk, so you’re thinking of studying that here?”
“Yes. I want to study the entertainment business and go back to Korea.”
“Sung-guk, I understand you’re interested in this field. But if you really want to do this work, you have to love it. I don’t believe in kids who only read books suddenly saying they want to make films or music. You have to consistently watch and enjoy music or films from a young age to develop an eye for it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Bang Mu-hyuk wiped the hamburger sauce from the corner of his mouth and smiled slightly.
“Sung-guk, when you come back from the United States, make sure to find me.”
“How would I find you?”
“Sung-guk, you have a phone, right?”
“Yes.”
I quickly handed over my phone.
Bang Mu-hyuk entered his phone number into my phone.
“Sung-guk, here’s my number.”
Beom-seon also quickly gave me his number.
I put my phone in my pocket and took a big bite of my hamburger.
These two probably won’t have any idea who I’ll become a few years from now.
Just then, Koo Ye-jung appeared.
“Sung-guk!”
She called out to me, but her eyes met Beom-seon’s.
[What? Did these two lock eyes last night? What about Ye-ri!]
Koo Ye-jung naturally sat down beside Beom-seon.
“Sung-guk, I promised to be your guide today for Beom-seon and his group.”
[Well, well, oppa? I just saw him yesterday, and now oppa!]
A sudden Confucian sensibility awakened within me.
Koo Ye-jung and Koo Ye-ri had felt like family over the past two years living with me, but they were also my friend’s younger sisters from my previous life.
Bang Mu-hyuk glanced at me sideways.
“Sung-guk, want to go to the art museum with me?”
[So I’m supposed to bow out and let those two have their date?]
I finished my hamburger and nodded.
“I’d love to see the museum.”
Beom-seon and Koo Ye-jung exchanged affectionate glances, then immediately got up to leave.
“Sung-guk, see you at home.”
[Please just come home.]
Bang Mu-hyuk placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Sung-guk, shall we talk more about business while we walk through the museum?”
“I’d like that. By the way, I know a painter.”
“Who?”
“Damien Hirst.”
Bang Mu-hyuk looked at me with astonished eyes.
“Damien Hirst? Really?”
Damien Hirst had become a world-renowned artist overnight after the Hong Kong Art Fair.
In fact, his exhibition had been running in New York for a while now, and I’d been planning to visit after my exams.
“Come with us, sir.”
“Y-yes. I really wanted to see that exhibition too. Sung-guk, it seems like we’re really on the same wavelength.”
[On the same wavelength? Bang Mu-hyuk, I know far more about you than you’d think.]
Art was among Bang Mu-hyuk’s interests.
I was planning to use this opportunity to firmly bring Bang Mu-hyuk to my side.
[Bang Mu-hyuk, nothing in this world is free.]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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